FREE
APRIL 2020 | VOL. 2 • ISSUE 4
CONTENTS
PUBLISHER Brian Rushing EDITORIAL Mary Ditch Editorial Director Bonnie Rushing Contributing Writer CREATIVE Amber Duplantis Senior Designer Lauren Pontiff Graphic Designer ADVERTISING Deanne Ratliff Director of Sales Beth Tabor
LILY, ALLIE AND WHITNEY COVER PHOTOGRAPHY-CHANNING CANDIES
Ready for Spring! Spring is in full bloom all around us! The trees are green with new growth and my flowers are starting to bloom. New in my garden this year were caterpillars on my milkweed plants! The cute insects showed up overnight, thanks to lots of tiny eggs laid by butterflies. Did you know they double in size every day? Just yesterday, my big, fat caterpillars climbed off the plant to a high and safe spot and formed their chrysalis. Now, we wait! In about 10 days, the bright green chrysalis will turn black as the butterflies get ready to hatch out. Once they hatch, the butterflies will hang out for a little bit while their wings dry. Then they will fly off, and will hopefully come back from time to time to enjoy nectar from my flowers. It’s been amazing to watch the caterpillar transform into a butterfly! My 5 year old checks on their progress multiple times a day. I hope you have a wonderful spring, full of growth and learning!
TABLE OF
CONTENTS 04 12 14 16
HOMEROOM HAPPENINGS
18
GET MOVING WITH THIBODAUX REGIONAL
20
CELEBRATE NATIONAL LIBRARY WEEK
22 24
LEARNING RESOURCES
Homeschool Happenings
HEALTHY BITES WITH TGMC
DIRECTOR OF FINANCE Michelle Ortego CONTACT Publisher: publisher@rushing-media.com Editorial: mary@rushing-media.com Sales: sales@rushing-media.com
Bug Snacks
KID ENERGY ALL-STARS
FAMILYFIRSTHOUMA.COM
Owen Lapeyrouse
S.T.E.A.M. ACTIVITY WITH HOUMA FAMILY DENTAL April Showers
Take It to the Playground
6160 W. Park Ave., Houma, LA 70364 • 985.868.7515
Book reviews Online Educational Websites
FUN AND GAMES Easter Egg Hunt
MARY DOWNER DITCH
APRIL 2020 • VOLUME 2 • ISSUE 4
DIGITAL MARKETING Keely Diebold
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Family First Magazine is a free publication. The entire content of this publication is copyrighted by Rushing Media, with all rights reserved. Reproduction or use, without written permission, of editorial or graphic content in any manner is prohibited. Family First Magazine is published monthly by Rushing Media.
GREG LEBLANC TOYOTA
2020 TUNDRA
Greg Leblanc
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KIDCAM CAMPS
BRINGING THE SPIRIT OF KIDCAM CAMPS SUMMER TO LIFE SINCE 1974.
BBOYS ring n g t•hAGES e 3-13 & iGIRLS s pSAVE i r i$10 t OFF o fREGISTRATION s u m mWITH er t o l i fPROMOCODE: e s i n c SAVE10 e 1974. Boys & Girls Ages 3-13
homeroom happenings HOMESCHOOL HAPPENINGS! WHAT’S HAPPENING IN YOUR CLASSROOM AT HOME?
Send your accomplishments to us at mary@rushing-media.com!
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This is the age of a new Louisiana. We built Louisiana’s largest pediatric health network to care for any of the one million children in our state and deliver on the belief that your child can be part of a stronger, healthier tomorrow. From check-ups to complex medical and emergency care, your child’s care begins here. Visit ololchildrens.org/believe for more.
Believe in me.
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homeroom happenings
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Call today and order over the phone! felgersfootwear.net Mon - Fri 10-7 • Sat 10-5 (store hours subject to change)
1539 MLK Blvd • Houma 985.851.1559
ENROLLING NOW! FOR THE FOLLOWING PROGRAMS: HEATING VENTILATION AND AIR CONDITIONING CLINICAL MEDICAL ASSISTANT HEALTH INFORMATION MANAGEMENT BILLING & CODING ESTHETICS • COSMETOLOGY • MASSAGE THERAPY
803 Barrow Street • Houma, LA 70360 • 985-601-4000 FAMILY FIRST
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homeroom happenings
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Heavenly Scent of Houma, LLC Vitamins, Herbs, Essential Oils, Nikken Magnets
1437 St. Charles St. Suite. 109 • Houma, LA 70360 • (985) 868.2216 M-F 9:00-5:30 • Sat 9:00-3:00
We're All About Smiles
Braces and Invisalign lahayeortho.com | 985.446.0988 1340 W Tunnel Blvd. Suite #530, Houma, LA 70360 100 Pecan St., Thibodaux, LA 70301 FAMILY FIRST
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homeroom happenings
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HEALTHY BITES WITH TGMC | BY MELISSA RILEY, MHA, RD, LDN
FUN WAY TO ENJOY FRESH FRUITS AND VEGGIES BUG SNACKS
It’s that time of the year! An abundance of local fresh fruits and vegetables will be available. You may be wondering how you can get your kids to eat more of them. It is recommended that children eat 2-4 cups of fruits and vegetables daily. Presentation of food can have a profound effect on its acceptance. Children tend to prefer small foods. Try bite sized cubes, small melon balls, or slice fruits and veggies into fun shapes. Another great tip is to make fruit and vegetable kababs with fun dips. It is also helpful to prepare multiple servings ahead of time to make an easy grab-and-go snack. What are the benefits of eating fruits and vegetables? They are naturally low in fat and are great sources of nutrients such as; potassium, fiber, vitamin A, and vitamin C. Vitamin A helps keep out eyes and skin healthy and protects against infections. While Vitamin C helps heal cuts and keep teeth and gums healthy.
DIRECTIONS
INGREDIENTS Vegetable Bugs
• 1 cup cherry and/or
• 1/2 cup of
• 2-3 Celery stalks,
grape tomatoes
peanut butter or
cut into various
(various colors)
other nut/seed
links for different bugs • 1-2 mini cucumbers, halved
• 1 bunch chives, cut into 1” lengths • 5-7 black olives • 10 whole cashews
cut into various lengths • 1/2 cup of cream cheese • 10 cucumber slices
• 1 cup red and/or green grapes • 3-4 strawberries, sliced
lengthwise with seeds scooped out,
butter
Fruit Bugs • 2-3 Celery stalks, cut into various links for different bugs
• 1/2 cup blueberries • 1 apple, sliced • 1/4 cups mini chocolate chips • 1/2 cup of O’s type cereal
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STEP 1 Prepare fruit and veggies. Refer to the photos for a visual guide showing many ways you can prepare the ingredients. STEP 2 Vegetable bugs: Fill celery stalks and mini cucumber boats up using a piping bag or spoon. Fruit bugs: Fill with peanut butter using a piping bag or spoon. These will be the base of all of your bugs you make. STEP 3 Unleash your kid’s imagination! Use our reference photo for inspiration to make snails, caterpillars, dragonflies and butterflies or create your own bugs!
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Women’s Choice
TERREBONNE GENERAL MEDICAL CENTER IS ONE OF AMERICA’S BEST HOSPITALS FOR ORTHOPEDICS Terrebonne General Medical Center (TGMC) received the 2019 Women’s Choice Award for being voted one of America’s Best Hospitals for Orthopedics. This award indicates that TGMC meets women’s exceptionally high standards regarding care for themselves and their families and is in the top 10% of U.S. hospitals offering orthopedics services. We’re honored that together with Gulf Coast Orthopedics women think so highly of the compassionate, exceptional orthopedic care TGMC provides. The Women’s Choice Award is only given to the country’s best medical centers based on patient satisfaction, clinical excellence and women’s expectations from their hospital. Another reason why TGMC provides leading edge healthcare for our community.
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KID ENERGY ALL-STARS
ALL-STAR OF THE MONTH OWEN LAPEYROUSE BASEBALL • 4TH GRADE, UPPER LITTLE CAILLOU When did you start playing sports? I’ve been playing since I was 4. Why did you decide to give your sport a try? Probably when I was 3 years old How often do you practice? Three days a week for baseball, once a week for robotics, once a month for 4-H and Just Say No. During basketball season, twice a week. What’s your best favorite position in your sport? Catcher, pitcher and first base. But the most is catcher. What have you learned about teamwork? It takes a whole team to win a game and make a team, not just one person. And to always keep your head up and give it 100 percent. How do your teammates make practice fun? We always joke around and do races at the end of practice. What is the best part of a game? Having fun and being on the field or court playing.
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What is one thing you do after a good game? Always a group meeting and go eat a good meal wherever I want. What do you do to calm any butterflies while performing? I always do the Sign of the Cross as I go up to bat. And dance in the field. Who are your favorite sports heroes? Chris Bryant and Ken Griffey Jr. What are you looking forward to doing next in your sport? Hitting a grand slam dinger Do you play any other sports? Travel baseball for Houma Giants, Terrebonne Parish AllStars for baseball, Little Caillou Basketball, 4-H reporter, Just Say No pledge leader, robotic team (Starbots), Red Tip belt in Taekwondo. All while keeping an A Honor Roll in school.
ALL-STAR ADVICE “Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships.” - Michael Jordan
TIP FROM BERNIE & EARL Have an adult call 811 before you dig!
Nominate your child to be a Kid Energy All-Star by emailing rhett@kidenergyusa.com.
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APRIL 2020
S.T.E.A.M. ACTIVITY WITH HOUMA FAMILY DENTAL
APRIL SHOWERS SHAVING CREAM RAIN CLOUD April showers bring May flowers, right? This cool and easy to do experiment provides a colorful visual to help explain how clouds make rain. The shaving cream represents the clouds and the water represents the air. The food coloring represents rain. As the food coloring saturates the “cloud”, it gets heavy. Eventually, the cloud is so heavy that it can no longer hold the water. The food coloring “rains” down into the jar – through the “air.”
WHAT YOU’LL NEED: • Food coloring • Shaving cream • Clear dish, jar or cup • Water
WHAT TO DO: STEP 1 Fill the clear dish with water until it is about 3/4 full. STEP 2 Spray a good amount of shaving cream on top of the water in the dish until it is just a small bit above the top of the container. STEP 3 Have your kids drop food coloring onto the top of the shaving cream cloud. STEP 4 Repeat step 3 one or two more times, but pay close attention to what is happening below the cloud! It will begin to rain!
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FAMILY FIRST
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Houma Family
Dental
In compliance with the Louisiana Department of Health, ALL DENTAL OFFICES are prohibited from providing routine dental visits March 18 - April 16, 2020. During this time, if you are experiencing dental pain, we may see patients for emergency appointments only.
SPONSORED BY
985-868-5699 At the corner of HWY 311 & Polk St. www.houmafamilydental.com FAMILY FIRST
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APRIL 2020
GET MOVING WITH THIBODAUX REGIONAL HEALTH SYSTEM
TAKE IT TO THE PLAYGROUND! The days of wishing you were a kid again are over. It’s time to take it back to the ultimate kid escape – the playground. But this time instead of sliding down the kiddy slide ten times, you will be taking it to the monkey bars, with your kids! With warm weather starting to shine upon us, let us take full advantage of it with an outdoor excursion. You can take the kids out for a play date while doing your own workout at the same time. Let the sun fuel you, plus get the added benefits of soaking up some rays and taking in the fresh air while in the process. Having minimal time and equipment can sometimes be a workout challenge, but everything you need for the workout listed below can be found at the playground! Don’t feel stressed. If you are strapped for time, know that achieving a full body workout can be accomplished in 20, 30 or 40 minutes with the moves below.
20 Monkey Bar Pullups
20 Yard Run
20 Elevated Pushups
20 Yard Run
FAMILY FIRST
20 Monkey Bar Hanging Leg Raises
20 Lunge Squats (10 per leg)
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20 Yard Run
20 Yard Run
Complete as many rounds as you can of the above list in 20 minutes. Once you become more conditioned, increase the time to 30 minutes, then 40 minutes. Give this work out a try and maybe you will start getting flashbacks of your childhood playground days! Sunlight helps your skin produce vitamin D for longevity, bone, immune, and brain health. Sunlight also improves sleep quality by promoting optimal melatonin secretion at night and reduces stress and boosts mood and cognitive function with no negative side effects! What are you waiting for? Round up the kids and take a trip to the playground!
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SPONSORED BY
For more information contact the Thibodaux Regional Fitness Center, 985.493.4950. FAMILY FIRST
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Healthy
at the library
Teeth & Gums for
Life!
BY NAOMI HURTIENNE MAGOLA, YOUTH SERVICES LIBRARIAN
CELEBRATE NATIONAL LIBRARY WEEK WITH A GREAT BOOK!
CALL TODAY TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT!
DR. MARK BILELLO
399 BAYOU GARDENS BLVD, HOUMA, LA 70364 985.872.9470 • DRMARKBILELLO.COM
Along with providing books and other materials, libraries also offer computer classes, story times, crafts, games, lectures, and more. Every year, the Terrebonne Parish Library System joins libraries across the country to celebrate National Library Week. This annual celebration draws attention to the wonderful work that libraries do for their communities. Here are a couple of my favorite books about libraries in order to get you and your family in the mood to celebrate National Library Week during April 19-25th. All three books are available through the Terrebonne Parish Library System and you can reserve a copy today at www.mytpl.org.
Preschool
Homer the Library Cat Written by Reeve Lindbergh Illustrated by Anne Wilsdorf
Homer the Cat likes it quiet. He lives in a peaceful house with his owner where they pass their time in a comfortable silence. One day, when the quiet lady was out, a loud crash outside scared Homer so much that he jumped out the window and directly into the trash. He then goes on a very noisy journey around his neighborhood until he finds his peace again at the library.
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K-3rd
Library Mouse
Written and Illustrated by Daniel Kirk Sam loves stories. He loves to read them, to write them, and to illustrate them. It is perfect then that he calls the library home. One other thing, though, Sam is a mouse. One day Sam decides to share his stories with the library’s visitors so he hides them in books. Much to his delight, the children love his stories.
The only problem is now they want to meet the author. What is a mouse to do?
4th-6th
Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library By Chris Grabenstein
What would happen if Willy Wonka built a library instead of a candy factory? You would have Alexandriaville’s brand new public library. This library, built with funds from billionaire game maker Luigi Lemoncello, is finished being built and is ready for business. But, before they open the doors to the public, 12 winners of an essay contest will get a sneak peek as overnight guests. Only when the kids wake up in the morning, they find the doors still locked! They must use the resources inside the library and work together to find the way out.
www.paisleyparkresale.com 6861 West Park Ave. Houma, LA• 985-876-2227
WE BUY & SELL GENTLY USED ITEMS OFFERING CASH OR STORE CREDIT FOR THE FOLLOWING ITEMS:
Baby Gear (Pack N Plays, High Chairs, Walkers, Etc.) Children's Clothing (Newborn - Youth 10-12) Children’s Shoes (sizes 0 - Youth 4) • Maternity Fashions
Mr. Lemoncello’s Library is full of twists and turns, puzzles and secret codes, that will be sure to keep the reader on the edge of their seat as they watch to see who will find the secret escape route first.
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AT THE LIBRARY
ON THE HUNT LEARNING FOR A NEW SMILE?! RESOURCES ONLINE LEARNING CAN BE FUN!
With kids out of school, there are many free resources available on the internet to help you enrich your children’s lessons. Check out a few of our favorite sites:
Braces for children, teens, & adults Nicole Thieler, DDS, MSD
985.876.4484
206 Mystic Blvd. • Houma, LA 70360
www.thielerorthodontics.com
It’s all in the
FAMILY
Rushing Media
www.kids. nationalgeographic.com Bring the whole world straight into your home with videos and activities about everything from animals, to science, to space, and more!
www.starfall.com At Starfall, children have fun while they learn - specializing in reading, phonics & math educational games, movies, books, songs, and more for children K-3.
www.pbslearningmedia. org Educational resources built for teachers’ curriculums, you can access films and interactive games, sorted by subjects or grade level.
www.coolmath.com Geared toward older kids, this site provides simple lessons in pre-algebra, algebra and calculus...plus some math games for added fun!
www.khanacademy.org In need of homework help or just looking for a little extra enrichment for your kids? This nonprofit organization offers educational courses for all age levels in every subject.
www.nasa.gov/stem This free site is out of this world! Kids of all ages can learn about space from space experts themselves. There are even some fun craft ideas like slime!
www.jr.brainpop.com Gently encourages young learners to ask questions and form their own ideas. There are lessons on Social Studies, Reading/Writing, Health, Arts and STEM.
Rushing Media
6160 West Park Ave. • Houma, LA 70364 • 985-868-7515 • rushing-media.com
FAMILY FIRST
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www.clubscikidzmd.com/ blog Daily activities and experiments for little scientists.
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Centered on what matters most to you
Henry M. Peltier, MD, FAAP
Patient Centered Care for 25 years
Meghan Louque MD, FAAP
Kenneth J. Cruse, MD, FAAP
• Free expectant parent consult • Routine/Wellness Care/Sports Physicals • Immunizations • ADD/ADHD Screening/Management • Same Day Appointments
In network with most Commercial Insurance and Medicaid
604 N Acadia Rd, Suite 200 & 200B • Thibodaux, LA 70301 • 985-448-3700 5040 W Main St • Houma, LA 70360 • 985-851-2000 • www.centerfp.com
It’s not too
LATE READING • WRITING • ENGINEERING • ROBOTICS • TUTORING • COLLEGE PREP MATH • CODING • STUDY SKILLS • GEOMETRY • ALGEBRA • ACT PREP
ENROLLING NOW FOR SUMMER CAMPS Our personal learning approach will really connect with your child, combining engaging technology with amazing teachers, raising grades and confidence. Visit our website for our summer camp schedule
Sylvan Learning Center • 657 Corporate Drive, Ste A www.sylvanhouma.com • Call Today! 985-223-3798 FAMILY FIRST
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FUN & GAMES
It’s your plan. Let’s make it happen.
banksynergy.com | 985.851.2217 FAMILY FIRST
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APRIL 2020
EASTER EGG HUNT!
FUN & Games
Looking for a way to still have a bit of Easter fun, while staying at home? Check out this neighborhood “event” where your kids can hunt for Easter eggs in your neighbor’s windows! Allow your children to color and decorate paper Easter eggs! Once they are beautifully created, hang them in a window facing the street. Share the idea with your neighbors too, so they can participate! As families pass by on daily walks, they can look for them and count them! See how many you can find!
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